THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 2 AUGUST 1976

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0006466728
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: August 2, 1976

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
The President's Daily Brief
,
August 2, 1976
2
Top Secret 50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
Exempt from general
declassification schedule of E 0 11652
exemption category, 58(1),(2),(3)
declassified only on approval of
the Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
August 2, 1976
Table of Contents
Lebanon: The Syrian-Palestinian accord has not led to a reduc-
tion in the fighting in Lebanon.
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50X1
Syria: President Asad's designation of a new prime minister is
a sign of his confidence in his domestic position. (Page 3)
USSR: The Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev entered the Atlantic
Ocean on Saturday. (Page 5)
Note: Cuba-Angola (Page 6)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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i
,S' D ; TE, R RA NE, i4.V
0 KILOMETERS 20
620202 8-76 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
LEBANON: The shaky
Syrian-Palestinian ac-
cord signed in Damas-
cus on Thursday has
had no effect so far
in quieting the fight-
ing in Lebanon, which
intensified over the
weekend.
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1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
--continued
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Beirut's pro-Christian
radio is claiming that
early on Friday a Lib-
yan ship at the port
of Sidon unloaded 48
armored vehicles and
22 amphibious armored
troop carriers, which
were said to be manu-
factured in the USSR.
50X1
50X1
--continued
2
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The Christian radio has
meanwhile seized on the
arrival of the Libyan
troop carriers--which
it claims are still in
the Sidon area--to jus-
tify what appears to be
a Syrian offensive in
the south.
SYRIA: The designation
of Major General Abd
Ar-Rahman,Xhulayfawi
as Syria's new prime
minister reflects Pres-
ident Asad's confidence
in his domestic posi-
tion and his current
policies, particularly
his intervention in
Lebanon.
50X1
the Syrians are concentrating at
Jazzin, from which they had par-
tially withdrawn, and that after
an intense artillery and rocket
barrage, a battalion of tanks and
a battalion of infantry moved west
on the road to Sidon as far as
Rum. Faruq Qaddumi, the Palestin-
ian official who negotiated the
Damascus accord, has sent an ur-
gent message to Syrian Foreign
Minister Khaddam asking the Syr-
ians to stop.
The Syrian advance toward Sidon
may have been sparked by the ar-
rival of Libyan troops and equip-
ment. The Palestinians have been
receiving a steady stream of sup-
plies through Sidon since the Syr-
ians withdrew from the immediate
vicinity of the city some weeks
ago in an earlier attempt to pave
the way for a cease-fire.
Prime Minister Ayyubi 's resigna-
tion has been expected for some
time. After losing his top party
post in last year's intraparty
elections, Ayyubi offered to re-
sign. Asad, believing that the
effort to unseat Ayyubi was di-
rected at curtailing his own
power, refused to replace Ayyubi
then in order to avoid any appear-
ance of giving in to internal pres-
sures.
With Syrian troops firmly ensconced
in Lebanon and the Syrian-Pales-
tinian accord concluded, Asad ap-
parently now believes that he can
go ahead with the cabinet change.
No other cabinet appointments have
--continued
3
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The new prime minister
is a long time confi-
dant of President Asad.
been announced, but many key min-
isters are likely to stay on in
order to underscore Asad's inten-
tion to continue his present poli-
cies.
If Foreign Minister Khaddam is not
reappointed, it could signal Damas-
cus' desire to improve relations
with Cairo because Khaddam is dis-
liked by President Sadat and other
top Egyptian officials. As a
faithful Asad lieutenant and Syr-
ia's principal foreign policy
spokesman since the 1973 war, how-
ever, Khaddam is likely to be re-
tained.
Khulayfawi was one of his key sup-
porters when Asad took power in
1970 and served as minister of in-
terior and prime minister until
ill health forced him to resign in
late 1972. Well regarded in both
party and military circles, he is
considered to be an effective ad-
ministrator.
Like Ayyubi, Khulayfawi is from a
prominent Damascus family and is
a member of Syria's Sunni orthodox
Muslim majority. He thus will pre-
serve the regional and confessional
balance is Asad's regime. Asad
and many of his supporters in the
army belong to a small Muslim sect
from Syria's coastal region. Asad
also may have appointed the form50X1
army general to strengthen mili-
tary support for the government.
--continued
4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
Soviet Aircraft Carrier Kiev
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
USSR: The Soviet air-
craft carrier Kiev and
two destroyers passed
through the Strait of
GiZbraZtar and into the
Atlantic Ocean on Sat-
urday.
The carrier may conduct operations
in the Atlantic for a short time
and then return to the Mediterra-
nean. More likely, the Kiev also
could proceed to the Northern Fleet
for familiarization and to conduct
full-range tests of its antiship
missile system. The two destroyers
accompanying the aircraft carrier
are originally from the Baltic
Fleet and may have come south pri-
marily to escort the Kiev to north-
ern waters.
50X
The Kiev left the Black Sea on its
first voyage out of home waters on
July 18. During the last two weeks
of July, it conducted antisubmarine
warfare operations with other So-
viet naval units at several loca-
tions in the eastern and central
Mediterranean. The Kiev carries
vertical-or-short-take-off-and-
landing fighters and helicopters.
--continued
5
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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24
Gulf of i.'2oztco
r_
-
Havana ?
?M'ariel
?
-Isle of Pines
Swan Is (U S)
NICARAGUA
-
Cayman Islands
(U K )
Nassauzir,
BAHAMA ISLANDS
A
/
72,
Santiago. nt.ifintafi-amo Bay
?
- igave.lBaSe--
HAc\ITI
-
JAMAICA K'n*
Nr../
0 200
0 Miles
200
Kilometers
t,3
620200 8.76 CIA
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
The Cuban convoy that
departed Angolan waters
in mid-July arrived at
the military port of
Mariel west of Havana
on Saturday.
NOTE
At least one of the five ships in
the convoy apparently stopped off5oxi
briefly last Thursday at the port
of Santiago.
6
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To Secret
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/05 : CIA-RDP79T00024A000200010001-1